Card Perks Attract Consumers, Survey Says

Cash-back credit cards, low interest rates and celebrity endorsements draw the interest of many consumers, but those same consumers also have proved loyal to their original card issuers, according to results from a new survey.

A CardRatings.com survey of 2,000 adults found that while many consumers are tempted by new credit card features, 63.1% of those surveyed have had one of their current cards for more than five years, while 37.5% have held onto at least one card for more than 10 years.

Consumers ages 50-64 show even greater loyalty – or maybe just longevity – with 76.5% holding onto at least one card for more than five years and 60.9% holding onto a card for 10 years, CardRatings.com said this week.

However, just because these cards are still in wallets, does not mean they are being used. Roughly half of the survey respondents said they no longer use their oldest credit card. The cards that are being used are newer cards, and 35.2% of respondents have acquired a new card within the past year and 55.6% have added a card within the past two years.

Currently, those ages 50-64 show the largest levels of credit card accumulation, with 31.8% having four or more cards. By comparison, 21.3% of consumers ages 30-39 have four or more cards, and 9.3% of respondents ages 18-29 have four or more cards.

Card history and usage also differs based on gender, with 45% of women surveyed have owned one of their current credit cards for at least 10 years, compared with just 29.7% of men. Men also are more likely than women to have added a card within the past two years, by 59.3% compared to 52%. However, both men and women are split pretty evenly on whether or not they actually still use their oldest credit card.

When it comes to the incentive to sign up for a new card, women are more likely to be attracted by non-financial benefits, such as concierge services, with 22% of women citing that as the reason behind their most recent card, compared to17.7% of men. Men prefer cards with sign-up bonuses, with 15.3% of men citing that as a reason for a new card, compared to just 10.3% of women, the CardRatings.com survey found.